Fantasy football: Fantasy studs coming from out of nowhere

Joey Baskerville

Wednesday

Nov 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2011 at 4:30 AM

If I wrote at the beginning of the year that receivers Victor Cruz (NYG) and Jordy Nelson (GB) would have more fantasy points 12 weeks into the season than Greg Jennings (GB) you probably would have called me crazy.

If I wrote at the beginning of the year that receivers Victor Cruz (NYG) and Jordy Nelson (GB) would have more fantasy points 12 weeks into the season than Greg Jennings (GB), you probably would have called me crazy.

If I told you that rookie AJ Green (CIN) would edge Roddy White (ATL) in points and backup Michael Bush (OAK) and Marshawn Lynch (SEA) would be among the top 11 fantasy running backs this season, you probably would think I was making some kind of reference to the Purple Drank.

But, after Week 12, all those things I mentioned are true, my friend. True.

The last four weeks Lynch has made me look like a fool for having him as a Purple Drank list mainstay, Bush might as well be Darren McFadden with his fantasy totals, Green has been fairly consistent in a very inconsistent year of fantasy football, Cruz has made some Hakeem Nicks (NYG) owners — read: this columnist — vow to never draft Nicks again.

Nelson has been more bust than boom, which has helped owners keep him in the starting lineup.

I haven’t even mentioned Beanie Wells’ (ARI) explosive 228-yard game last Sunday that now puts him in the top-10 fantasy backs in the league. This after scoring in the low single-digits four of the last five weeks prior to the St. Louis Rams game.

Folks, this is our new reality in fantasy football. A reality where I’m speaking kindly of both Wells and Lynch in the same column where I’d tend to crack jokes about their ineffectiveness.

Few things about fantasy football this year has been explainable for more than week, other than the reality that eight of this season’s top 10 fantasy players are quarterbacks — including all of the top five scorers.

And this is in standard leagues, folks. Never mind leagues where QBs are awarded six points for TDs.

Of course, we’ve also seen Chris Johnson (TEN) finally look like himself, although still a slower version despite running for 190 yards. A few other backs, including Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC) and Arian Foster (HOU) are playing at a high level, but if you take a look at most of the top scorers from last week at any position other than quarterback, you’ll be asking yourself just where some of these guys have come from.

Can’t Wait! Waiver Wire Pickups

This week’s top scorer could be on this very list. And if not, they could still end up scoring many more points than your top fantasy option at a given position.

But I’m not bitter. Nope. Not bitter at all.

Dan Orlovsky is taking over the QB position in Indianapolis, so may be worth a flyer. Either him or Jake Delhomme, who was signed Tuesday by the Houston Texans. Yep, they’re that desperate. Kyle Orton could start this week, so he might be a decent pickup going against Chicago.

It was bad enough Burress ended up showing up Johnson by making more meaningful catches later in the game, but then Johnson forgot how to catch the ball late when Buffalo still had a chance to win.

At least Johnson didn’t blame God this time, so there’s that.

Johnson was still on his way to being this week’s presenter until Costas opened his mouth on Football Night in American. Costas seems to have forgotten that showmanship has always been a part of football.

You think when coaches would say things like “these are basically the plays we’ll be running, try and stop us” wasn’t bragging? Not to mention, TD celebrations are fun.

I don’t get the impression Costas likes to have fun, which makes him Purple Drankalicious. I just hope Costas doesn’t hurt himself if he ever falls off his high horse.